Embedded Librarian Program

What is an Embedded Librarian?

When you request an embedded librarian for your course, you'll have an information expert who will work closely with you and your students for the entire semester.

Your embedded librarian can be involved as much or as little as you need. In some classes, the embedded librarian sends an announcement at the beginning of the class to introduce themselves, and to provide contact information and a few library resources to get students started. They'll check in with students again at the half-way point, and once more near the end of the semester. However, we encourage you to work with the embedded librarian so they can provide whatever assistance makes the most sense for you and your students.

Our goal is to build stronger student-focused relationships and provide more integrated information literacy instruction.

What Does an Embedded Librarian Do?

An embedded librarian can:

• Design research guides, videos, or tutorials for your course, which reinforces instruction, allows students to review the information at their own pace, and provides an accessible addition to classroom instruction.
• Develop additional instruction sessions to help with specific assignments.
• Participate in relevant discussion board posts and provide students with immediate research-related feedback.
• Be available for point-of-need research help in class when students are working on an assignment.

How Does the Program Work?

All ENG152 will automatically have an embedded librarian for both in-person and flexible online instruction modes.

In addition to providing your regular ENG152 information literacy instruction on database research, your embedded librarian will be involved in the course for the entire semester.

When your librarian confirms with you at the beginning of the semester:

1. You'll add the librarian to the Canvas course (role: Teacher).
2. The librarian will work with you to schedule information literacy instruction (if it hasn't been scheduled already).
3. The librarian will use the Announcements feature to communicate with students to share information about relevant library resources.
4. The librarian will keep in close contact with the instructor and be available for additional information literacy instruction and assignment support.

How Does Having an Embedded Librarian Benefit Students?

Students have a consistent point of contact throughout the entire semester. They can seek personalized research help when it's most relevant for them, usually when they're working on an assignment. The embedded librarian will be familiar with the assignments, making research consultations more engaging.

In classes where an Embedded Librarian is assigned, students are:

• Reaching out to their librarian with questions and seeking research help.
• Scheduling research appointments for one-on-one assistance with their assignments. Many schedule follow-up appointments and demonstrate improved research skills.
• Submitting higher quality sources for their papers.
• More aware of how librarians can support their learning.